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Religious education for UU teens is provided by Ms Charlotte Lambert.

Philosophy of Religious Education at Unitarian Universalist Congregation Ormond Beach, FL

Our goals are to create community, spark creativity, transmit values, learn about Unitarian Universalism, the congregation, and preserve the miracle of life around us.

Sunday morning 

Religious Education (RE) Teen classes are offered during the congregational service and are conducted on ZOOM from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. every other week and in-person from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. the opposite week. 

Class begins with a chalice lighting and centering session. The class ends with Concerns and Joys and the extinguishing of the chalice. 

The Religious Education class for our teen group for this year is Soul Matters Crossing Paths. 

Crossing Paths is rooted in religious pluralism. Instead of claiming that one religion is better than others or that all religions are really different ways to the same end, religious pluralism treats religions as separate systems of belief that address distinct human challenges. Rather than seeing all religions as different paths leading to the same mountaintop, this view sees each religion as its own uniquely beautiful mountain. Crossing Paths is about exploring a new “mountain” each month, thus our tagline “Many Mountains; Many Paths.”

Religious Education history and updates…

JULY 2023: For the coming year (2023-24) The 2022-23 Small Group Packets Archive in Soul Matters will provide the framework for the RE Family/Teen group meetings. The topics for discussion and exploration will be: Belonging, Courage, Change, Wonder, Finding Our Center, Love, Vulnerability, Resistance, Creativity and Delight. The group will continue to explore other religions as well as plan field trips including possible outreach to local Assisted Living Centers with musical performances.

June 2023 Update from RE:

We started out this year with many class meetings on Zoom. We now have a variety of study options for religious education; the RE participants and teacher choose the mode of education for each Sunday. We may meet entirely in person. We may use a hybrid format with in person and zoom. Sometimes, we meet via Zoom entirely. This year we introduced independent study RE where the participants are given a project to complete on their own. An opportunity to meet with the Teacher via phone or Zoom is also provided for independent study. The projects are then shared at the next in person class. This process has been quite successful in continuing to engage our busy students when they are not able to meet another way.
The theme of this year’s Teen program, Crossing Paths, is an introduction to a wide range of religions. In the previous year the teens journeyed though seven religions. The plan which the students chose for this coming year, 2022-2023, was to study fewer religions with a more in-depth approach. They studied Sikh religion and Christianity. The seven principles of the Unitarian Universalists were a focus as well.
The students, along with their parents and teacher, went on a field trip to the Maker’s Faire in Orlando to experience a variety of entrepreneurial efforts and have fun together in a large outdoor area. They also visited a Sikh Temple.
The RE Committee was asked by the Worship Committee to check with the Teens to see if they would like to participate in the Sunday Earth Day Celebration. This idea was enthusiastically welcomed by the Teens who designed and presented the Sunday Earth Day service with the guidance and direction of a member of the congregation as well as the support of their teacher and parents.
Game day this spring was an opportunity chosen by our Teens to give back an afternoon of fun to the Congregation. Everyone had a great time. Many thanks.

We have introduced the Teens to the structure of a UU Committee and have asked them to plan for next year. In coordination with their teacher, the students have been planning for field trips next year as well as a game day.
We thank all of you who have visited the RE class. We also thank those of you who have shared ideas, written material and so much more with the RE class.

Religious Education; Plans for the coming months – Published January 3, 2023

For the upcoming months the RE for Tweens and Teens will be looking at Christianity. We will also continue our study of the Religions of India and the world including:

Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism,Judaism, Zoroastrianism. We will look at how diverse religions relate to one another. 

We are also planning field trips to other houses of worship.

We will have some special sessions to continue our interviews with guests of other religions. This program will take several months and will be focussed on the following religions: Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Judaism. 

Charlotte Lambert,  Religious Education Teacher

Julie Hilburn, Co-Chair Religious Education Committee

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December Religious holidays

December is a month of special religious holidays in various religions. The Religious education class will decide which holidays may be discussed. As you remember, we had a Bodhi celebration last year. The holidays which may be discussed are:

Bodhi day is Thursday, Dec 8 Bodhi Day celebrates the day the “Historic Buddha”, aka Siddhartha Gautama, Sakyamuni Buddha, achieved enlightenment.

Hanukkah Begins Dec. 18 ending the evening of Dec. 26 The eight-day Jewish celebration known as Hanukkah or Chanukah commemorates the rededication during the second century B.C. of the Second Temple in Jerusalem where, according to legend, Jews had risen up against their Greek-Syrian oppressors in the Maccabean Revolt

Christmas is December 25 which is celebrated by Christians as the Birth of Jesus Christ.

Kwanzaa is celebrated December 26 to January 1. This celebration is based around seven major principles which are, according to Karenga, a communitarian African philosophy: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. On each of the seven nights of the week-long celebration, families gather together and light one of the seven candles of the Kinara. Usually, a discussion about one specific principle takes place each night.

Additional discussions in RE class The regular discussion of December’s religious celebrations may be overshadowed by sad events within the church. These events within the church have been quite heartfelt by the participants. Our teacher will be flexible in helping the group process these events. She will not hold to a specific schedule but will be in the present moment with the group guiding the discussion. All parents, guardians and weekly participants are welcome to attend any RE class. Visitors have been welcomed to sit in on classes but we ask that should you wish to do so that you wait until January. Please check with Ms. Lambert before attending. Masks are required.

Respectfully submitted,

Julie Hilburn Co-chair Religious Education. 

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